For example, the fabrication processes for an organic EL display include a process of applying organic EL light emitting layers in different patterns to a film specially processed to incorporate transparent or semitransparent electrode(s). The patterns are stripes extending in a direction in which the film runs and provided by applying each of regions isolated from each other in a lateral direction (a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the film runs) with one of inks for different organic EL light emitting layers. For three organic EL light emitting layers of different kinds, three inks of different kinds are applied using a plurality of printing units corresponding to the number of inks needed. A conventional method of coloring a film with three color inks requires three printing units for passage of the film through them one after another.
According to the prior art, accounting for the desired patterns of organic EL light emitting layers requires printing, at three different times, three laterally isolated regions of a film. Generally, the entire regions (the entire surface) of the film need to be printed one on top of an other, inevitably requiring comparatively uneconomical and bulky equipment. Printing pressure acts three times on the film that is processed to include transparent or semitransparent electrode(s) as pressure acts on the film during transfer operation at three printing units one after another. The repetitive application of pressure to the film may cause breakdown of the electrode(s) and limit emitting element(s) involved. In other words, the repeated application of printing pressure causes an increase in ratio of risk that the specially processed portion and light emitting layer of the film may lose their inherent characteristics.